HOLYOKE, MA — January 22, 2019 — Holyoke Medical Center has achieved certification to the ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management System, reflecting the organization’s commitment to quality, transparency, and customer satisfaction. Holyoke Medical Center is the first and only hospital in Western Massachusetts to obtain this prestigious accomplishment.

“Achieving the ISO certification is consistent with our long-term commitment to quality and patient safety,” said Spiros Hatiras, President and CEO of Holyoke Medical Center and Valley Health Systems. “The ability to integrate the ISO 9001 quality standards with our clinical processes is a major step forward to continually improve our systems and performance to deliver the highest standards of care. We are extremely proud of the hard work and dedication demonstrated by our exceptional team of employees who helped us obtain this goal.”

The certification is valid for three years and is provided by DNV GL – Business Assurance. Holyoke Medical Center has been working with DNV GL for its annual accreditation process since 2015.

Hatiras added, “Prior to making the decision to switch our accreditation organization to DNV GL, we did extensive research into the benefits of adopting its accreditation program, NIAHO® (National Integrated Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations), and ISO 9001 quality management standards. We interviewed a number of hospitals accredited by DNV GL and were very impressed with the improvements and achievements they have accomplished under those standards. In addition, consistent with our efforts to keep raising the bar for ourselves, we have experienced more value in undergoing DNV GL’s more intensive survey process, which is conducted annually instead of every three years.”

ISO 9001 is the most widely used quality management standard and has recently undergone a periodic update to better reflect modern business challenges. Last modified in 2008, the new 2015 version of ISO 9001 is the result of input from business and technical experts around the world.

About Holyoke Medical Center:Holyoke Medical Center (HMC) is a 198-bed independent community hospital with over 1,300 employees serving individuals and families throughout the cities and towns of the Pioneer Valley. The medical staff includes more than 375 physicians and consulting staff. Holyoke Medical Center is a nationally-accredited hospital and received a 2016 Top Hospital Award from the Leapfrog Group for excellence in quality of care and patient safety. This full-service hospital provides a complete line of inpatient and outpatient medical and surgical services, including an award-winning birthing center with the first Baby Friendly designation status in the region. Holyoke Medical Center’s award-winning Stroke Service has been consistently recognized as one of the best in the state for the past decade and has received the 2018 Get with the Guidelines Stroke Gold Quality Achievement Award with Target: Stroke Elite Plus Honor Roll from the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association. Holyoke Medical Center is a member of Valley Health Systems in Holyoke which also includes the affiliates Holyoke Visiting Nurse Association & Hospice Life Care, Holyoke Medical Group and River Valley Counseling Center. To learn more, visit www.holyokehealth.com

About DNV GL – Business AssuranceDNV GL – Business Assurance is part of the DNV GL Group, a world-leading certification body helping businesses assure the performance of their organizations, products, people, facilities and supply chains through certification, verification, assessment, and training services. For more information about DNV GL - Business Assurance, visit www.dnvglcert.com.